© AndyBright www.digiscoped.com Welcome to the section of Winter Visiting Birds. Below you will find a list of birds in this category only. To see other bird categories, please select the appropriate links to the left. You will also find the order (in Latin) and family names (in Latin, English and Turkish) along with the Scientific, English and Turkish names of each bird. To the top of each picture, typical sounds or songs of birds are also available in mp3 format. From time to time some birds might not appear since they might choose other locations. The pictures and sounds given here should not be copied without prior notice of their owners. Please find the sources used for this list at the bottom of this page. Happy scrolling !

pelecaniformes > phalacrocoracidae | cormorants • karabataklar
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		phalacrocorax carbo	cormorant	karabatak
		Breeds on rocky headlands and islands, and also, increasingly, by inland lakes, marshes and reservoirs. Winters on coasts, estuaries, rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Cormorants are those big, black, rather ugly birds which you often see standing upright on a post, tree or rock with their wings held out to dry.
ciconiiformes > ardeidae | herons and egrets • balikcillar
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		egretta garzetta	little egret	küçük ak balikcil
		Feeds by the edges of lakes, reservoirs, rivers, brackish lagoons and saltpans. Breeds in waterside trees and bushes. The Little Egret is more delicate-looking than any other heron-like bird which occurs in Britain. It is much smaller than a Grey Heron, with snowy white plumage, a long pointed black bill and black legs with strikingly yellow feet.
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		ardea cinerea	grey Heron	gri balikcil
		Breeds in woodlands and plantations usually near rivers and estuaries. Winters along rivers, estuaries, lakes and marshes. Its huge size, pale grey plumage and distinctive shape distinguish it from all other birds. The adult is whiter on the neck than the juvenile and has longer black tufts hanging down its nape.
falconiformes > accipitridae | hawks, vultures and eagles • atmacagiller
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		circus aeruginosus	marsh harrier	saz delicesi
		The Marsh Harrier is larger than other harriers, with broader wings, a shorter tail and showing no signs of a pale rump. Juvenile Marsh Harriers can appear completely dark brown but they usually show some pale plumage on the head giving them the nickname of cream-crowns. In females, this pale pattern becomes more extensive with age, spreading across the leading edge of the wing. Breeds and winters in extensive reedbeds often hunting in open country nearby.
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		circus cyaneus	northern (hen) harrier	gokce delice
		Hen Harriers may glide slowly over the ground on V-shaped wings. The male lacks the brown body of a Marsh Harrier and so looks almost completely grey, or even white, apart from the black wing tips and the smoky trailing edge to the wing. Females or immatures are slimmer and noticeably longer in the wing than Marsh Harriers and have obvious white rumps. Breeds on moorland and in young conifer plantations. Winters on moorland and on lowland fields, marshes and estuaries.
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		aquila clanga	spotted eagle	buyuk orman kartali
		The species gets it name from the distinctive rows of spots in the upperwings of the juveniles which are also easily identified from below by their striking, almost black-and-white patterned plumage. Almost any eagle can look basically black if seen in bad light so you also need to check that the bird is the right shape: rather squat for an eagle, with broader, more rounded-looking wings and a shorter tail than a Lesser Spotted Eagle. Summer visitor to wooded areas, especially with wetlands nearby. Winters at wetland sites such as marshes and river deltas.
falconiformes > falconidae | falcons • doganlar
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		falco columbarius	merlin	boz dogan
		Breeds on open moorland and grassland. Winters on open moorland, estuaries and marshes. The Merlin has the pointed wings of a Kestrel but is smaller and shorter tailed with dark duller plumage. It flies with great speed and agility using quick shallow wing-beats. At close range its moustache is less obvious than on any other British falcon. Adult males are slatey-blue above with a black tip to the tail: females and immatures are a dull dark brown above, heavily streaked below.
charadriiformes > charadriidae | plovers and lapwings • kizkuslari
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		vanellus vanellus	lapwing	kizkusu
		Breeds from the coast to the uplands on marshy areas and farmland. Winters on estuaries and farmland. Lapwings are easily identified wading birds, medium sized, black and white with white faces and a long upright crest. In flight, the floppy, rounded black and white wings make them unmistakable.
charadriiformes > scolopacidae | Sandpipers and Allies • kumkuslari
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		calidris minuta	little stint	kucuk kumkusu
		The beautifully marked juveniles are easily identified by the neat white lines, or braces, down their back. Winter-plumaged birds lack the braces but are smaller with clean white bellies and short, neat, straight black bills. In both summer and winter plumages they most resemble Sanderlings but the smaller stints are never so gleamingly pale and they generally prefer freshwater habitats.
charadriiformes > scolopacidae | Sandpipers and Allies • suculluklari
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		scolopax rusticola	woodcock	culluk
		The Woodcock is fat-bodied and rather round-winged and can look rather owl-like but, of course, owls don't have long pointed bills. A big, bulky, brown bird flushed from a woodland floor is more likely to be a Woodcock than an owl and the rich red-brown plumage, rapid zig-zagging flight and long bill will confirm this. At rest a Woodcock is easily told from a Snipe because the head stripes go across the top of the crown rather than along it. Breeds and winters in woodland with ground cover and damp areas. Feeds in nearby fields after dusk.
charadriiformes > scolopacidae | Sandpipers and Allies • düdükcünler
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		tringa totanus	common redshank	kizilbacak
		Redshanks are medium-sized waders with longer bills than say, Ruff or Knot and with relatively dull brown plumage but bright red legs. In flight they are with a broad white bar across the trailing edge of the wing. The extensive white rump and upper tail is also most striking. Breeds on damp fields, meadows and moorland. Winters on estuaries and marshes.
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		tringa ochropus	green sandpiper	yesil düdükcün
		The Green Sandpiper almost invariably looks contrastingly dark above and light below, indeed almost black and white, with the dark head and breast coming to an abrupt end level with the bottom edge of the wings, isolating the white belly. The wings and mantle show only faint pale spots and there is a striking white line from the bill, round the eye and back again. Breeds in damp forests. Winters on muddy streams, ditches and marshes.
charadriiformes > laridae | Gulls • martigiller
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		larus genei	slender-billed gull	ince gagali marti
		Gull of average size, it has the back of the wings of pale gray color and the rest of the white pure body, which in the low parts is spotted with a tenuous pink dye. The peak is of red very dark color, distantly it seems to be black, and the legs are of a red color dark coral. In winter the pink color of the low parts scarcely is estimated unless the bird is observed of closely together. Nest in land, in a shallow depression lined with rushes, herbs and feathers; it makes from 2 to 3 whitish eggs spotted with quoit, the incubation, not very verified it can range on 25 days, the chickens are nidífugos and only it does an annual putting. Breeds on marshes and marshy zones.
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		larus cachinnans	yellow-legged gull	gümüs marti
		The bill of Yellow-legged Gulls is bright yellow with a bright red gony spot. The bill is parallel sided with the culmen dropping steeply toward the tip. Yellow-legged Gull characteristically has parallel sided, blunt tipped bills. They usually appears to be fuller chested with legs set at a wider stance. In flight the wings are broader based. Legs and feet deep bright yellow, obvious at considerable distance. Found in abundance in the Black Sea and Mediterranenan shores of Turkey.
strigiformes > strigidae | owls • baykuslar
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		asio otus	long-eared owl	kulakli orman baykusu
		At rest, the long ear tufts and distinctly orange eyes make the Long-eared Owl easy to recognise. However, in flight they can be confusingly similar to Short-eared Owls. The most obvious features to look for are the uniformly dark under-parts, the lack of a white trailing edge to the wing and less distinct barring everywhere, especially under the wing-tip. Breeds in coniferous woodland or, occasionally, hawthorn scrub, usually close to open country such as moorland. Winters near rough grassland and marshes.
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		asio flammeus	short-eared owl	kulakli orman baykusu
		Unlike the other owls, the Short-eared habitually hunts by day. The colour of a Short-eared Owl varies from under-cooked biscuit-brown to overcooked biscuit-brown and never shows the warm rufous tones of a Long-eared. At rest, the ear tufts are hard to see but the yellow eyes are distinctively encircled by black. Breeds on boggy moorland, upland pasture, young conifer plantations and marshes. Winters in open moorland, grassland and marshes.
coraciiformes > alcedinidae | kingfishers• yalicapkinlari
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		alcedo atthis	common kingfisher	yalicapkini
		Their brilliant blue upperparts, deep red underparts, white face patches and unique shape make Kingfishers impossible to misidentify. Breeds along rivers, streams and lakes. Winters along lakes, rivers and estuaries; occasionally on rocky shores. Usually found in freshwater areas, although some move to the coast in winter, when food is more scarce. Generally easier to see at reedbeds and marshes than along rivers.
passeriformes > alaudidae | larks • toygarlar
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		alauda arvensis	skylark	tarlakusu
		Usually it is seen as just a hovering speck in the sky but with patience you may see that it is a classic small streaky brown bird. It doesn't have the conical bill of a finch or bunting and it is too bulky to be a pipit. The white feather on the outer edge of the tail is a feature of many small birds but the Skylark is one of the few birds to show an additional white line along the trailing edge of each wing. Breeds on moorland, farmland, dunes and grassland. Winters on rough grassland, stubble and saltmarsh.
passeriformes > motacillidae | pipits and wagtails • incirkuslari ve kuyruksallayanlar
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		anthus pratensis	meadow pipit	cayir incirkusu
		In most parts of northern Europe this is the commonest pipit. Indeed, in many areas of open country it will be the most numerous bird of all. It can be told from a Tree Pipit by its duller darker head in which there seems to be more of a pale ring around the eye rather than a stripe running through it. More convincingly though, notice how the thick black streaks continue all the way down to the flanks almost to the undertail. If in doubt, wait for its call. Breeds on open moorland and rough grassland. Winters on marshes, in stubble fields and rough grassland.
passeriformes > prunellidae | accentors • dagbulbulleri
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		prunella modularis	dunnock	dagbulbulu
		In plumage it may seem rather sparrow-like but its old name of Hedge Sparrow was misleading. Its slim build and especially its fine pointed bill prove that this isn't a sparrow at all. Key identification features include rich brown upperparts, neatly streaked with black, bright orange or pinkish legs and, above all, the lead grey colouring of the head and breast. Breeds and winters in gardens, parks, woodland, wasteground and hedges.
passeriformes > turdidae | chats and thrushes • ardicgiller
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		erithacus rubecula	robin	kizilgerdan
		The red breast of course makes identification easy but it can be told even in silhouette or in its blotchy brown juvenile plumage, by its plump shape, upright stance and habit of making abrupt movements. Breeds and winters in gardens, woodland, parks, wasteground and hedges.
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		turdus merula	blackbird	karatavuk
		Breeds and winters in woods, farmland, gardens, wasteground and hedges. The all-black male with his bright yellow bill is unmistakable and the female is distinctively dark brown all over with only obscure streaking on the breast. Almost everywhere except barren uplands. Familiar in gardens and city parks. First year males have more brown in plumage and brownish bill. Female is more variable, with brown plumage and mottled breast and bill brown (or orange in older birds).
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		turdus philomelos	song thrush	öter ardic (bozlak)
		Its brown plumage and speckled chest is typical of a thrush. It lacks the white eye stripes of a Redwing and so is most easily mistaken for a Mistle Thrush. The Song Thrush, however, is smaller, more neatly proportioned, with warm brown upperparts and a rather dark face. It lacks the white tips to the corners of the tail and the white edges to many of the wing feathers shown by a Mistle Thrush. The underwing coverts are clearly orange, but not as deep and red as in a Redwing, which is a potential source of confusion. Breeds and winters in gardens, farmland, woodland and hedges.
passeriformes > muscicapidae | old world warblers • civginlar
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		phylloscopus collybita	chiffchaff	civgin
		The easiest way to separate Chiffchaff from Willow Warbler is by the black legs of a Chiffchaff but this isn't always reliable. If it's really a Chiffchaff it should have relatively shorter wings, drabber underparts and a rather timid facial expression, as created by a weaker eyestripe, shorter, more rounded head and shorter bill. Breeds in open wooded areas with undergrowth. Winters in parks, gardens and scrub, especially by water.
passeriformes > sturnidae | starlings • sigirciklar
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		sturnus vulgaris	starling	sigircik
		Starlings have mainly black bodies and yellow bills like Blackbirds but they are smaller and fatter with more pointed heads and longer, more pointed wings. Their plumage is always speckled although in summer the markings on the breast are replaced by iridescent tones of green and blue. Juveniles start off as plain brown with a black bill and characteristic shape. Breeds in towns, woods, parks, and on farms. Winters in cities, gardens and farmland.
passeriformes > prunellidae | finches • ispinozgiller
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		fringilla coelebs	chaffinch	ispinoz
		The male Chaffinch is distinctively coloured, especially in spring when the dull outer edges of his feathers wear away to reveal the striking blue head and pink breast. In all plumages though, Chaffinches are easily told by their unique combination of two broad white wing bars and obvious white outer tail feathers. Breeds in woodlands, parks, gardens and hedgerows. Winters in gardens and farmland, especially stubble fields.
IMAGE		Scientific Name	English Name	Turkish Name
		carduelis spinus	siskin	kara basli iskete
		A specialist at feeding on tree seeds, the neat, slender Siskin is particularly associated with conifers such as pines and spruces. It usually feeds high in the trees, displaying tit-like agility, and in spring the males often sing from treetops. In winter, Siskins forage in flocks, often with Redpolis. Visits gardens, for peanuts, but breeds in spruce and pine forests. More widespread in winter: often in alder and larch along rivers.

CREDITS:

Special thanks to Andy Bright for his photo contributions. More of his photographs may be viewed at www.digiscoped.com. Mr. Bright requests that his photographs not be reproduced in any medium without his permission. He can be reached via his website.

Boddam ©Bill Jackson: Nature in Shetland

SOURCES: (information, pictures, sound clips)

• http://www.birdguides.com
• http://www.mangoverde.com
• http://www.junglewalk.com
• http://home.wanadoo.nl/r.goedegebuur/roofvog/roofidxe.html
• http://www.owlpages.com/
• http://aves.desdeinter.net
• http://aviario.iespana.esaviario/
• http://hjem.get2net.dk/birds_of_denmark/
• http://www.lipu-uk.org/
• http://www.surfbirds.com
• http://www.owlpages.com
• http://www.owles.org

REFERENCES:

• Turkiye ve Avrupa'nin Kuslari (published originally as: Pocket Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe with North Africa and the Middle East.
• http://i-bird.com/
• http:// www.birdsofbritain.co.uk
• http://www.es.cornell.edu/winkler/botw/families.ht